Tanzanian Tribe Called Hadza

The Hadza tribe in Tanzania do not engage in warfare. They’ve never lived densely enough to be seriously threatened by an infectious outbreak. They have no known history of famine; rather, there is evidence of people from a farming group coming to live with them during a time of crop failure. The Hadza diet remains even today more stable and varied than that of most of the world’s citizens. They enjoy an extraordinary amount of leisure time. Anthropologists have estimated that they “work” — actively pursue food — four to six hours a day. And over all these thousands of years, they’ve left hardly more than a footprint on the land. The Hadza recognize no official leaders. None has more wealth; or, rather, they all have no wealth. There are few social obligations — no birthdays, no religious holidays, no anniversaries. National Geographic asks, “What do they know that we’ve forgotten?”

Ellen Goodman

“I have never been especially impressed by the heroics of people who are convinced they are about to change the world. I am more awed by those who struggle to make one small difference after another.”

Solution to Poverty: Women!

Why do microfinance organizations usually focus their assistance on women? And why does everyone benefit when women enter the work force and bring home regular pay checks? While violence against women is one of the greatest and most under-recognized global phenomena, there’s a growing recognition among everyone — from the World Bank to the U.S. military’s Joint Chiefs of Staff to aid organizations — that focusing on women and girls is the most effective way to fight global poverty and extremism. Read on for Saima, Abbas, and Tererai’s tales of empowerment.

Michel de Montaigne

“Even on the most exalted throne in the world we are only sitting on our own bottom.”

Oscar Wilde

“The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible.”

Introducing Gandhian Engineering

Do you need to sacrifice quality or features to produce an inexpensive product? Should only the world’s richest people be able to afford the newest technologies? Is developing technology only about making a profit? The answer to such questions is a resounding no, according a fairly new concept called Gandhian engineering. Embracing Mahatma Gandhi’s ideal of “doing more, for less, for more,” the growing movement aims to democratize technology by developing ultra-low-cost products for the world’s poorest citizens while still creating a profit for companies.

Marcus Valerius Martialis

“Conceal a flaw, and the world will imagine the worst.”

Charles Dickens

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.”

Margaret Cho

“Privacy and security are those things you give up when you show the world what makes you extraordinary.”

Design Thinking for Social Innovation

Designers have traditionally focused on enhancing the look and functionality of products. Recently, they have begun using design tools to tackle more complex problems, such as finding ways to provide low-cost healthcare throughout the world. Read about how nonprofits are using “design thinking” to tackle issues such as transporting clean water to arid areas and feeding malnourished children in developing countries.

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